RAMALLAH/GAZA CITY, 21 March 2008 — A senior Palestinian official accused Israel yesterday of trying to weaken the Palestinian Authority’s ability to enforce law and order in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Yasser Abed Rabbo, the secretary-general of Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, told Voice of Palestine Radio that “the Israeli government has always been seeking to beat the PA and acting to weaken it.” Abed Rabbo added that Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza, in addition to settlement activities, arrests and raids violated all agreements it signed with the PLO.”
He said Israel was using all possible means to weaken the PA. The PLO official said, “Israel apparently doesn’t need a Palestinian partner to achieve peace but wants to keep the Palestinians divided.” Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday his government did not intend to stop construction of settlements — a main obstacle to Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
In early March, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suspended peace talks with Israel after an Israeli offensive in Gaza Strip killed more than 125 Palestinians.
In another development, Palestinian and Israeli sources said yesterday Israeli and Egyptian representatives agreed in principle to a deal that would replace Israel with Egypt as the Gaza Strip’s sole electricity provider.
Under the deal, Egypt would set up a new power line from the Sinai Peninsula town of Arish to the nearby Gaza Strip. The 150-megawatt line would cost $35 million and be operational within two years.
Egypt currently provides the Gaza Strip with only 7 megawatts of power, while Israel provides 124 megawatts through 10 different lines. A local power station produces the remainder.
Omar Kittaneh, chairman of Palestinian Energy Committee, who is in charge of the project on the Palestinian side, said the Egyptian plan would be funded by the Islamic Development Bank. According to Kittaneh, tenders will be floated in the next few days.
Three Palestinians Killed
Three Palestinians, including two members of Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas were killed yesterday in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip, witnesses and medical sources said.
A 60-year-old Palestinian farmer was killed when Israeli troops opened fire at houses in Al-Qara village in the Gaza Strip. Medical sources identified the victim as Hassan Abu Abed, adding he died of a gunshot wound to his chest.
Later in the day, two Hamas activists were killed and two others were wounded in an explosion in “Al-Badeir” training camp in Tal-Al-Hawa area in southern Gaza city.
Hamas initially blamed the Israeli Army for the blast, saying the training camp was targeted by Israeli warplanes, but later acknowledged it was an accident. The Israeli Army denied involvement. The sources identified the two as 20-year-old Noor Jundiya and Muhammad Banar.
